The last couple of weeks have really made me appreciate the need for us all to have access to outdoor space. Temperatures of 35 degrees in May have really brought home the fact that the impacts of climate change are unfolding all around us.

As a council, we have taken unprecedented levels of action to reduce the borough’s contribution to climate change. Alongside this, we have to take action to ensure that our borough will remain a safe and comfortable place for people in our new, hotter reality. Our plan for a regional park is a key part of this.

A garden for the whole borough

Access to green space is something everyone should be able to enjoy. Our plan for a regional park is all about ensuring we build a garden for the whole borough and eventually a garden for the whole of west London. We all need a shady spot to relax, socialise, and play. That is the vision of our regional park, a place for everyone in the borough to find a shady spot on a warm day.

The park connects Horsenden Hill in Greenford to the River Thames at Brentford through a network of open spaces, canal towpaths, riverside walks, and nature reserves into a single, wider park. We are working with London Borough of Hounslow; the Greater London Authority; the National Trust; the Environment Agency; and the Canal & River Trust to make this happen.

Next week, we are discussing our plans for the regional park at our cabinet meeting. We have secured over £2.5million in external grants for the park. Our ambitious plan includes improvements to some of the key sites in the park; visitor attractions and food growing at Horsenden Hill, new natural play facilities at Pear Tree Park, a potential cultural venue at Churchfields, and delivery of the new sporting facilities at Warren Farm that sit alongside the nature reserve.

I hope everyone enjoyed the borough’s parks and outdoor spaces over the May bank holiday and, as the summer approaches, I hope everyone is able to find a shady spot to enjoy the outdoors in our wonderful borough.